Access to the Archival Heritage as a Reflection of the Human Right to Culture. UNESCO’s Perspective

Codruţa-Elena Mihailovici

The study intends to raise the profile of the archival (documentary) heritage importance in any nation building through the fact that it comprises the entire amount of 0the written proofs related to the mankind development. The focus of the research follows, using the historical method, the line of the initiatives and projects promoted by UNESCO, in terms of preservation of and access to the archives, as the first intergovernmental organization which have received the responsibility for promoting and development of this kind of heritage. We´ve had a special interest to clarify a few matters of terminology and clasification related to archival/documentary heritage and cultural heritage. Based on a qualitative research method, the present work analyses how the UNESCO approaches in this field, either individual or collaborative – especially with International Council on Archives (ICA), are strongly connected to the specific events/phenomena that happened around that time worldwide: political events, technological revolution etc. The study provides a synthesis of the activities developed by UNESCO which aim to protect archival heritage and to enlarge the access, to protect the right to the cultural heritage. The study can be used as a tool in creating or improving national and institutional policies in the field of protection and accessibility of the archives.

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